SBOE Recognizes Nimitz High School National History Day 2015 Winners, Cougars Prep for 2016 Projects
The History Fair program prepares students for college, careers and civic life.
Austin — The State Board of Education honored (l-r) Nimitz High students Brent Vela, Sayfaldin Thabit, Makayla Jefferson and Natalie Garza for their outstanding performances at National History Day 2015.
[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]T[/dropcap]he Texas State Board of Education recently recognized four students from [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Nimitz High School. The students brought home wins from the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]National History Day 2015 contest. Brent Vela, Makayla Jefferson, Natalie Garza and Sayfaldin Thabit placed in the top three in their respective categories. The National History Day contest took place last June at the University of Maryland.
Brent Vela at nationals.
Every year National History Day (NHD) frames students’ research within a historical theme. The 2015 theme was “Leadership & Legacy in History.” The annual theme gives students a chance to focus on a person, group or historical event. Their research of the past helps them gain a better understanding of our world today. The goal is that students develop an understanding of people and societies.
Brent’s project won first place. He competed in the Senior Individual Documentary Category. The History Channel awarded Brent $5,000 for his project “Heal the Man, Heal the Land: Roosevelt’s Legacy Through the Civilian Conservation Corps.” Brent has been active and successful in NHD over the years while at Nimitz. In the 2014 competition, Brent placed fourth for his project “Stealing Home: Los Desterrados (The Uprooted) and the Battle for the Chávez Ravine.”
Nimitz High School has a strong record at NHD. The students are already deep in research for the 2016 competition.
Natalie Garza, Makayla Jefferson, Billy Toledo, Gabriel Guzmán and Sayfaldin Thabit at nationals.
Brent is a senior this year. Brent is carrying on a family tradition. His father Joe graduated from Nimitz High School. He took part in history fairs as a student. He too placed at the national contest.
Makayla, Natalie and Sayfaldin won second place. Gabriel Guzmán and Billy Toledo also formed part of the group. They competed in the Senior Group Website Category. Their project was “Wild Bill Donovan: Leader of American Espionage.” Gabriel and Billy graduated with the Class of 2015. Sayfaldin is a senior this year while Makayla and Natalie are juniors.
Nimitz has a strong track record at National History Day. The History Channel sponsors the national contest. Campus students taking part are already researching and preparing for the 2016 contest. This year’s theme is “Exploration, Encounter & Exchange in History.”
History is more than mere facts and dates. Students learn to dig deeper into historical content to develop perspective and understanding.
Tulane University — Nimitz HS students visited Howard-Tilton Memorial Library to conduct research.
Barbi Binnig finds the work the students do essential to their development. Binnig is a history teacher at Nimitz High School.
“The students get a chance to focus on a specific topic,” said Binnig. “Students develop a lens to read history. As they research, they develop organizational structure to understand the context of the information. By the end, they gain the ability to see connections. They relate the present to the past.“
Study shows National History Day program boosts school performance and job skills.
There is research to back the value of taking part in history fairs. A [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]nationwide study in 2011 conducted for the National History Day (NHD) program concluded that students who participate in the program boost their overall school performance. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Aldine ISD was included in the study.
Audubon State Historic Site — Students interview Daniel Wilcox.
The study shows that NHD students perform better on high-stakes tests, are better writers, more confident and [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]capable researchers and have a more mature perspective on current events and civic engagement than their peers. Participants also show a greater ability to collaborate with peers, manage their time and persevere. These are all skills employers say are lacking in today’s workforce.
Nimitz students in the Advanced Social Studies Research Methods Class recently visited Louisiana. The three-day trip gave students an opportunity to focus on their history fair topics.
The Nimitz Cougars visited the Oakley Plantation in St. Francisville, the Hill Memorial Library at Louisiana State University, Howard—Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University, and the New Orleans Public Library. They also toured the city’s French Quarter.
Research included analyzing primary sources like documents and listening to taped oral interviews. They also read primary diaries as well as viewed original paintings and historical architecture. One student group interviewed Dr. Jay Edwards, a professor at LSU. He is an expert in French Creole architecture.
New Orleans Public Library — Students transcribe oral history interviews.
Another group received a private tour and lecture from Daniel Wilcox. He is the interpretive ranger and curator of collections at the Audubon State Historic Site (Oakley Plantation). The plantation houses a vast collection of family artifacts. It also has many first editions of Audubon birds of America prints. Wilcox also discussed John James Audubon’s time in Louisiana.
The Cougars also spent time sampling local cuisine and exploring local customs. This helped them to better understand the region and their topics.
History teachers Binnig and [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Richard Cheplick sponsored the event. Cheplick teaches at Nimitz Ninth Grade School. They thank Deborah Johnson and Twiana Collier for arranging transportation and support. Johnson is the secondary social studies program director. Collier is program director for advanced academics.
Students interview Dr. Jay Edwards, a professor at LSU.
The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future. — Theodore Roosevelt
About the Author: Leticia Fehling
